Confirmed with Link: Kessel, 2nd, Biggs, Erixon → Kapanen, Harrington, Spaling, 1st, 3rd | Leafs eat $1.2M

[The Old Master]

You look at what Naslund did before he was traded. Now would you trade him for that unknown again?

No you can't justify trading a 50/60 point guy for grit.

You would get slapped silly for even mentioning it.

nasland was so in awe of Mario he would always defer to him on his line. I remember him getting the puck and slowing down to look for 66...M.L. swatted him on the but, so he took off down the ice and scored..... he would look good on the 3rd. line (with nedved I think) but when ever they would move him up, he couldn't play at all.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I think we honestly have no idea how Sid and Geno will play with Kessel. We say things like "Sid likes grinders" and "Malkin needs his Neal".

I'm pretty sure Sid is ****ing pumped right now and will be more than happy to adapt his game to accomodate an elite player. The guy had a couple months of Hossa. We can now give him an entire season to make it work for the playoffs.

I'm fine with Kessel playing with either though. Sid's life is made easier either way.

for sure. Putting Kessel with Sid will basically just be a way to power through top defenses with Sid. Putting him with Kessel though will really throw off the matchups for the other team.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Absolutely agreed. I said a while ago that for the Horny trade to fully work we needed others to shoot the puck. Sid and Geno should have been able to do it more than they did, but they didn't. Kessel will. Neal is a much better scorer than Hornqvist if nobody else is shooting though

Well, this deal really put my reservations about the Neal trade to rest. The team actually managed to find another legit sniper at a reasonable cap hit to go along with Hornqvist. Didn't think it could be done, but JR did it.

That was supposed to be Ehrhoff firing in bombs from the point ... oh well.

Yeah, he was disappointing on every level last year though.

I hope you're right.

I just wanna get rid of Kunitz so his "tenured" status is not a temptation to MJ to put him on the 1st PP unit.

Jesus, I hadn't even thought of that.

 

[td_ice]

Naslund asked to be traded. Not enough playing time, didn't like his role with the team.

 

[Pens1566]

Yeah, he was disappointing on every level last year though.

Meh, between the injuries and MJ hardly ever giving him PP time, I don't have the severe dislike for him that others do. In fact, I'd take him back at a similar cap hit in a heartbeat. Our top 4 would sure look a ****-ton better with him in it.

 

[Crosscrease14]

Leafs fan here, Pens got a great player. Lots of the reputation stuff with Kessel was media fuelled in T.O. Kessel is a bit streaky but far and away the best offensive player on the leafs. Also makes teammates around him better. Hope the Penguins hold up with defence and goaltending because their offence will be dominant.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Hope Phil falls in love with the game again here in Pittsburgh. By all accounts he hated playing hockey last year in Toronto.

 

[WVP]

Leafs fan here, Pens got a great player. Lots of the reputation stuff with Kessel was media fuelled in T.O. Kessel is a bit streaky but far and away the best offensive player on the leafs. Also makes teammates around him better. Hope the Penguins hold up with defence and goaltending because their offence will be dominant.

Outsiders are much, much more concerned with our defense than we are. It's dependent on Letang and Maatta remaining healthy but it's not as bad as everyone has been talking this week.

And Fleury is a rock during the regular season and seems to have his playoff issues behind him.

 

[Quatro Quatro]

Still can't believe this trade actually ended up happening. I love how most fans of other teams are talking about how this destroys our depth when it actually does the opposite. 5 of the 6 top six players are legit top six guys. And hopefully Plotnikov can come in and be a decent third wheel.

Now if JR can just get an upgrade for Sutter, watch out.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Meh, between the injuries and MJ hardly ever giving him PP time, I don't have the severe dislike for him that others do. In fact, I'd take him back at a similar cap hit in a heartbeat. Our top 4 would sure look a ****-ton better with him in it.

That's my group, haha. Just was not impressed with the guy - I wouldn't have him back.

 

[brewski420]

I don't know if this has been asked as a hypothetical but would you accept the same package going out for Saad? Would it have cost more or less?

I would make that deal for Sasd, not sure Chicago would not knowing comparable with what they got.

 

[Pens1566]

That's my group, haha. Just was not impressed with the guy - I wouldn't have him back.

Are you ok with the D as is?

 

[mpp9]

Outsiders are much, much more concerned with our defense than we are. It's dependent on Letang and Maatta remaining healthy but it's not as bad as everyone has been talking this week.

And Fleury is a rock during the regular season and seems to have his playoff issues behind him.

I really hope we get rewarded from keeping DP off the table in the Kesler and Kessel discussions, and he is able to take a Letang type transition into playing meaningful minutes.

This team could be ready to contend again very soon if that happens.

 

[WVP]

I don't know if this has been asked as a hypothetical but would you accept the same package going out for Saad? Would it have cost more or less?

I would make that deal for Sasd, not sure Chicago would not knowing comparable with what they got.

Not sure about that. Kessel is more high end but Saad is entering his prime.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Are you ok with the D as is?

we need the kids playing. If we sign someone and move Scuds and Lovejoy out of the starting line-up, great. But if signing someone keeps Lovejoy in and bumps Dumoulin or Pouliot, its a bad move. It would just be another mistake in a long line of mistakes in developing our own defense.

 

[Pens1566]

we need the kids playing. If we sign someone and move Scuds and Lovejoy out of the starting line-up, great. But if signing someone keeps Lovejoy in and bumps Dumoulin or Pouliot, its a bad move. It would just be another mistake in a long line of mistakes in developing our own defense.

This is where I'm at as well. If we bring a vet in, I want Scuds gone and LJ as the 7/8 at most.

 

[Ogrezilla]

This is where I'm at as well. If we bring a vet in, I want Scuds gone and LJ as the 7/8 at most.

do you have any faith in that happening? I don't. We can dream though

 

[iFishyHD]

do you have any faith in that happening? I don't. We can dream though

Rutherford has been really good this offseason, so I wouldn't even bet against him.

 

[systemsgo]

I don't know if this has been asked as a hypothetical but would you accept the same package going out for Saad? Would it have cost more or less?

I would make that deal for Sasd, not sure Chicago would not knowing comparable with what they got.

I wouldn't. Saad is a very good player, but that's essentially 2 first round picks, 1 2nd and a third for Saad, which is too much for Saad.


I think this team definitely needs to move out Kunitz or Scuderi to have be competitive, ideally both. Lovejoy I can stomach in a third line role because he's paid much lesser.

 

[The Greatest 101]

If only we hadn't done the Perron trade.Barzal,Pouliot,Kap,1st for Kessel,JVR,Percy would be a solid trade for both teams.

 

[clefty]

Meh, between the injuries and MJ hardly ever giving him PP time, I don't have the severe dislike for him that others do. In fact, I'd take him back at a similar cap hit in a heartbeat. Our top 4 would sure look a ****-ton better with him in it.

The thing is, Ehrhoff was often overlooked for first unit powerplay time because he just never really showed that his point play was good enough to warrant it.

His puck handling at the blue line was average and his keep in ability was woeful. And this vaunted shot of his? Well it's no good if you only get decent wood on it on one out of every five attempts.

I don't think he was a disaster of a player, but he was just average at everything.

 

[Pens1566]

do you have any faith in that happening? I don't. We can dream though

Well, no. But if we bring in anyone that is worth anything, their contract will likely dictate that one of our "bad" contracts has to go as well. One can hope.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Are you ok with the D as is?

It's hardly perfect. But I don't think Ehrhoff would be any better than the d he'd be replacing.

 

[Liquid Gel]

why stop there?







there's the rest of his seasons as a leaf

Holy moly! He may score 100 playing with Sid and Geno

 

[Ogrezilla]

Well, no. But if we bring in anyone that is worth anything, their contract will likely dictate that one of our "bad" contracts has to go as well. One can hope.

Right, Scuderi. But that still leaves Lovejoy. At that point you'd have

Letang
Maatta
Signing
Cole
Lovejoy
Dumoulin
Pouliot

At that point, I'd just want to move Lovejoy (even just waive him and save like 900K from his deal in cap) and have Erixon or Anderssen as our number 7. But I have no faith in that happening.